Restored power ignites fire, storm lesson

Caroline Ketchum described it as “personal stupidity” — but with erratic electrical power outages in the wake of Monday’s storm, forgetting to turn stoves and other appliances off is not surprising.

Ms. Ketchum, returning around 12:30 p.m. yesterday from walking her dogs, found her kitchen filled with smoke.

When she left her house at 24 Rigby Road around noon, the power had been off all night, and the soup she had been making was half done.

While she moved the pot of soup to a propane stove, there were three lighted candles on an electric stove, which had been on when the power went out Monday night.

When the electricity was restored after she went out, the candles melted and caused a fire that drew fire companies from three towns.

No injuries were reported, and both dogs were safe in a car as firefighters battled the blaze.

Ms. Ketchum, after discovering the fire, ran to a next-door neighbor’s home to call 911.

Firefighters from Clinton, Lancaster and Sterling were on hand. After the fire was out, Ms. Ketchum asked Clinton Fire Chief Richard J. Hart to retrieve her address book from the kitchen, which he did.

Lancaster Deputy Fire Chief Michael J. Hanson said the fire caused smoke and heat damage estimated at more than $100,000 to the two-and-one-half story house.

He said roads in Lancaster that were closed because of the storm resulted in Lancaster engines being detoured through Sterling.

The call came in as an oven fire at 12:32 p.m. yesterday, but when firefighters arrived it was a “well-involved kitchen fire,” Deputy Chief Hanson said.

He said the fire was caused by items on the stove that ignited when the power came back on.

Jennifer L. Mieth, spokeswoman for state Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan, said it is important to turn off all appliances during power outages, and to use flashlights and battery-operated candles.

If flame candles must be used, they should be placed inside a one-foot circle away from anything that can burn, or on a non-combustible surface, or in the sink.

Candles should be blown out when one leaves the room, she said.

Mr. Coan also warned about using ovens for heat, bringing gas grills or hibachis inside for cooking, and using propane or charcoal grills or generators inside garages, even with the door open, because they pose serious risks of carbon monoxide poisoning.

“This early season storm has caused extended widespread power outages,” Mr. Coan said. “Carbon monoxide poisoning is a great risk at times like these. After last year’s Halloween storm, the number of carbon monoxide incidents that fire departments responded to spiked.”